Fauna and flora of Sri Lanka that beautify the little Island are protected and preserved in several national parks and nature reserves offering the visitor an opportunity to taste the natural beauty. There are eleven such National Parks in the Island but the most popular for viewing animals are the Ruhuna (also called Yala), Uda Walawe and Wilpattu National Parks. From the safety of a park bungalow or a covered jeep, visitors can watch several species of animals and birds roaming freely in these extensive reserves. Horton Plains in the hill country is a special attraction (click Hill Country). This remote plateau is the island's last remaining montane forest - the home of some fauna and flora species not found anywhere else in the world.Sri Lanka is the only country providing safe haven to young elephants orphaned in the wild. There are two such Elephant Orphanages in the country, one at Pinnawela and the other at Uda Walawe.

Yala National Park: The Ruhuna (Yala) National Park is at the south eastern corner of the Island, 288 km. from Colombo. It is the second largest national Park of the country with an area of 97,878 hectares. A wide range of wild animals including elephants, leopard, bear, sambur, spotted deer and a variety of birds including the jungle fowl and the peacock roam freely in this jungle.



Uda Walawe : Located near Embilipitiya in the catchment area of Walwe River bordering Ratnapura/Moneragala Districts is the popular Uda Walawe National Park 30,821 hectares in extent famous for its large herds of wild elephant.



Elephant Orphanages (Pinnawala & Uda Walawe) : Sri Lanka is the only country in the world to open elephant orphanages to protect the destitute young wild elephants. Young elephants left in the jungle without care are brought to this orphanage and tendered till they reach maturity. Interesting time to visit the orphanage is at the bathing time when the herd is brought to a river flowing close by or at feeding time to see the babies being bottle-fed.



Aviafauna: . Sri Lanka has a wide range of both resident and migratory birds that arrive from far away lands to their favourite roosting places in the Island. A number of bird sanctuaries have been designated in addition to the national Parks. The most popular bird sanctuaries are at Kumana, Bundala National Park, Wirawila and Udawattakele



Flora : Nearly 4,000 species of plants constitute the rich and diverse flora of Sri Lanka. This wide range of plant species is spread through the wet and dry zones of the country. Sri Lanka's endemic flora is protected within a tropical rain forest reserve called Sinharaja. There are three botanical gardens in Sri Lanka at Peradeniya, Hakgala and Gampaha displaying a large collection of tropical and sub tropical plant species. Sri Lanka's orchids are world renowned. About 166 recorded species of orchids are found in the Island of which about 66 are endemic.